MADISON, Wis. – The mouthguards that some college football players are wearing this season have a dual purpose.

Not only does the equipment provide the obvious protection for teeth and jaws, it also includes sensors collecting data to help research the best way to prevent serious head injuries.

Ten NFL teams already had been using these sensors for the last few years. This season, college players at Alabama, North Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin also have utilized these custom-made mouthguards.

While helmet sensors already had been used for many years to study the impact of blows to the head, experts believe the mouthguard sensors add a new perspective.

“We wanted to get inside the helmet and closer to the target of interest,” NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills said.